The invention relates to a method of diagnosing a malignant disorder or its precursor stages by a blood test.
For the diagnosis of malignant disorders imaging methods (x-ray, ultrasound, computer tomography, core spin tomography), histological examinations of biopsy materials, antibody tests and tests for more or less specific tumor markers are utilized. The last mentioned tests are performed with histological preparations as well as with blood samples. The tumor markers are mostly very specific indicating certain types of tumors.
The main problem is that these procedures, depending on the state of the disorder, have generally an unsatisfactory hit quota, that is, they are not very reliable and can distinguish only insufficiently between malignant and benign forms or respectively, precursor stages of tumors. Some of the imaging methods further cause sometimes quite substantial radiation exposure. Biopsy requires an operative procedure which may cause the spreading of tumor cells. In addition, all these procedures are relatively expensive and in some cases reasonably reliable results are obtained only after an evaluation of several days.
The publication "Surgery", Vol. 109 (1991), p. 747-755 describes a study in which the effects of a tumor of the small intestines on the lymphocytes circulating therethrough were to be determined. In this study, patients with a tumor in the small intestines and, as a control group, patients with benign small intestinal disorders and nephrotic defects participated. All patients were operated. From the patients with intestinal tumors arterial and venous blood was taken from the tumor tissue. From the patients of the control group arterial and venous blood was also collected which was taken from the intestinal tissue. The lymphocytes were separated after centrifuging or on the basis of a characteristic volume. The percentage amount of each lymphocyte substitute-population was determined. A particular diagnosis procedure is not reported since the diagnosis was known already before the operation.
The publication Cytometry, Vol. 13 (1992), page 766-774 describes a procedure for recognizing and distinguishing cells of blood smears.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a diagnosis procedure for malignant disorders and their precursor stages which does not additionally stress a patient, which is not based on an imaging procedure, and which can be performed inexpensively and in a simple manner.